Pearl Drops: Answers
by ashehole
Summary: Characters, new and old, come together in sixteen small one shots, answering unanswered questions and leaving some wide open. Set between Song of the Siren and The Lioness Mask. Side Story.
1. Torrence

**AN: Hey! Look. I'm back. Yaaay! :D I take such short breaks these days... Do I leave you guys in suspense at all? Well... Few breaks on the Pearl Drops series. I'm currently working on the next chapter of **_**Daughter of the Scroll**_**, but I'm having some writer's block, so I started other little fun projects. Gotta love the life of an author. Anyhoo, back to this. There's a huge time gap between the end of Book Four and the start of Book Five, so I made all these one shots about our favorite characters, and maybe some characters you don't know or remember. I promise, each of them is important! Enjoy! Review! I love reviews. They make me happy. This first part is about the other Daughters.**

**Part One: The Last Days of School**

**Chapter One: Torrence**

The office looked so much different than in the beginning of the year when Larry had posed as principal of La Brea. Remembering that filled Torrence Hudson with such shame... She been so _stupid_!

The stand-in principal--as Torrence called her--sat down in her big chair, looking pompous and important. She looked down her nose at Torrence. Torrence ground her teeth. Where did this woman get off?

"Miss Hudson, how are you today?" Principal Anders asked her, leaning forward over her desk. Torrie hoped that wasn't the same desk that Larry used...

"Confused. I haven't missed school. I haven't been in any fights lately. What do you want from me?" Torrence got to the point, narrowing her eyes at the woman.

Anders sighed, nodding her head and sitting back. "I've read your records, Miss Hudson. You've had a hard year it seems. The teachers are worried."

"What for?"

"You've missed so many days this year. You have come close to failing two of your classes. You're doing poorly in all of them."

The Daughter frowned. _Tell me something I don't already know!_

It was true. Math was a disaster for Torrence, and she hated her American Government class. She was constantly trying to find a way out of gym class. And forget English!

She probably wouldn't even live to graduate, the way her hectic life was. Not a happy thought, but she rarely had any of those anymore. And it was realistic. It was always Daughter things, and her visions, and visitations from Hekate trying to kick her butt into gear. There was Blaze's fears to worry about. Ella's obsession with Anthony was coming close to an explosion of disaster. Ariel's crumbling hope. Nick's crush on her. Dancing. Robert and Maria.

Honestly, with her schedule, who would really care about school anyway?

"I'm aware of those facts already, Principal Anders," Torrence replied curtly, smirking at the prissy woman.

"You are in danger of not becoming a Junior. Are you aware of that fact?"

Well, yeah. Several teachers had already mentioned that fact! Of course, she didn't _want_ to fail, but really... What else could she do?

"It kinda comes with the territory."

The principal smacked her lips in disapproval. "Do you even care about what I'm trying to tell you? I understand about your home life and... What occurred here. I am trying to help you! Don't you want that?"

_Touching speech, Anders, but no. _"Help me how? I'm just going to fail and be in tenth grade again."

"There could be another way."

Torrence eyed the woman carefully. Was she a spy for the Atrox? The _Infidi_? Her mother, maybe? "Meaning?"

Anders smiled brightly, finally hooking the problem student. "All of your teachers have agreed to pass you, as long as you pass your finals with an A." The woman smiled brighter. "I know you can do it. I've seen your grades from last year. You're _smart_, Torrence."

Well, Torrence couldn't have felt anymore shocked than if Anders climbed onto the desk and did a strip tease for her. All she had to do was get an A?

"Even math?" Torrence whispered, undeniably impressed with this principal.

Her smile dimmed, though, with that question. "It seems that there is no way Mr. Hughes will pass you in that class. However, you can go to summer school and make it up."

Scratch out whatever Torrence was beginning to think about the principal. "_Summer school?!"_ That was a cruel, cruel joke.

"Do you want to pass?"

**xXxXxXxXx**

"So, Torrence, anything happen at school today?" Catty asked from across the dinner table.

"I have to go to summer school," she groaned, stabbing the meatloaf roughly.

"Summer school?" Miranda asked, a smile on her face. "I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Stuff it, kiddo," Chris laughed, obviously agreeing with his little sister, though.

Kyle even grinned. "It's better than failing, Torrence."

She frowned, thinking it over. Charlie was ruthless during summer. Torrie was going to be killed when the old lady found out.

"Some help you guys are..."

"That's what family is for, sweetie," Catty reminded her, perking Torrence up a tiny bit.

**Next Up: Ever wonder what happened to Hailley's play from **_**Shimmering Moonstones**_**?**


	2. Hailley

**Part One: The Last Days of School**

**Chapter Two: Hailley**

"I will not back down! This is my home, my land!"

Hailley stepped forward, mock gun in her hands, pointed at the man she was facing off against.

"Corrine, you're insane! Put that gun down!" A girl rushed over to her from the other side of the stage, skirt in hands as she ran.

Hailley didn't even look back. She knew precisely where Jennifer would stop. Instead, Hail raised the butt of the shotgun, steadying it as she had been shown.

"No, Lily. All he does is poison our lands and your mind."

"Don't be foolish, Corrine," the man murmured.

Hailley glared at him, rage filling her face. "Lily, get back inside."

Jennifer ran in front of the man, throwing herself between him and the gun. "Corrine, I love him."

"You don't konw what love is. You're not ready."

Jennifer grabbed the gun, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Hailley. "I know Jonathon hurt you, Corrine. He hurt me, too. We could have never guessed that he really killed Conner." Jennifer held on to the gun, but looked behind her at the boy who play-acted the fake Conner. "Rodger is a good man. He was friends with Conner, and he loves me, Corrine."

"He lied to us. I... He made me believe Conner was back," Hailley sobbed, finally lowering the gun. This was it, the big finale.

The wooden gun thumped along the stage floor as Hailley finally dropped it, a full on cry emerging. Jennifer stepped forward, hunnging the brunette.

"Corrine, I'm sorry to have lied to you, fool you about your twin brother," Andrew began to apologize. "During the war, all of our buddies thought we could be twins, so I knew I could fool you by using the war as a cover for any irregularities that you noticed. I read about your engagement to Jonathon. I owed it to your brother to protect you." He stepped forward, enveloping both girls in his embrace.

"You shouldn't have lied!" Hailley shouted. The crowd behind her gasped at the raw emotion. She knew what they were thinking without being a telepath. Where did such talent come from? How had all these gifted actors find their ways to Hollywood High?

"I know... But would you have believed me otherwise, about Jonathon?" Andrew stepped back, letting them go. Jennifer stepped away, too.

Hailley wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I understand the reason behind your actions. The fact is, you lied so convincingly, you almost took my farm away from me. You have stolen my brother's spirit and face, and you have taken possession of my sister's heart. Even more so, you took from me one of the greatest feelings in the world: love. I loved Jonathon with everything in me, and you didn't even give me the chance to kill him myself. It should have been done by me."

Andrew opened his mouth to talk, but Hailley lifted her hand up, silencing him beofre he could even say a word.

"However, I can see that Lily loves you very much, and you love her in return. I will forgive you, dearest Rodger, if you sign my farm back to me." She held out her hand to him, and he shook it.

The curtain fell then, ending the play. Even before it dropped the whole way, she could see the standing ovations, hear the deafening applause and cat calls. She joined hands with Jennifer and Andrew, Jerry walking out to take Jennifer's hand. The other actors joined them in a chain as the curtain rose again. The applause grew louder as the actors took their bows.

The grin on Hailley's face was priceless. Nothing in the world could have been better at all. Nothing else could have given her this high. And now, her sisters were able to see the one passion Hailley truly had in her life. Overall, that made her feel the best. The Daughters of the Moon got to see her talent, just like Auriella's singing and Torrence's dancing.

But, of course, Hailley was better than them all.

**Next Up: A little sisterly bonding between Blaze and Niya**


	3. Blaze

**AN: I would like to take this time to doubly thank Farrell, an avid fan, reviewer, and amazing author for still sticking with me. :D And, also, thank you mysterious, anonymous reviewers as well. **

**Part One: The Last Days of School**

**Chapter Three: Blaze**

Blaze hunched down over her desk, re-reading the question for the fourth time. She chewed on the cap of her pen, biting it until it was practically unrecognizable. These essay questions were always stupid, asking a stupid question and also asking you to write a long, detailed answer to said question.

She grit her teeth, angry at herself. She always skipped this class with... With Erik... And she was sure that she hadn't been here when they learned this shit!

Blaze let out a cleansing breath, closing her eyes. She thought about her study guides that had been going over for a week, studying with Conrad.

Well, what studying that actually happened.

Conrad could be such a distraction...

She shook her head of thoughts of him. He was becoming a distraction at the worst possible time.

She looked at her watch, noticing that time was almost up. She wouldn't have time to finish her exam!

_I won't cheat. I'll just give myself extra time,_ Blaze thought to herself, slowing down the hands on her watch.

She sat back in her chair, much calme now that she knew she had all the time in the world. Sort of, anyway.

And she just sat, staring at the exam anyway! She couldn't thin of any answer that didn't include: I don't know, This class sucks majorly, or... Well, whatever she had thouhgt of was _definitely not going on her paper_. She'd rather not go to summer school like Torrence.

"Oh, my God! What in hell is the answer?"

Her eyes wandered to her book bag, sitting so snug on the floor by her feet. Really, was it cheating if nobody noticed? Or if time didn't exactly exist? It wasn't like she was going to feel guilty over it. She had other things to be guilty about, not some stupid test. This school could really just fuck themselves over...

**xXxXxXxXx**

"You had a chance to cheat and you didn't?" Niya asked, completely astonished.

"Yes. And you will do the same if ever faced with that choice. Got it?" Blaze told her sister, nudging her with her foot.

Niya made a face, smacking her sister's leg. "Yeah, yeah. I just never expected _you_ to pass up an opportunity to cheat!"

"What? I can't _do_ anything without cheating now?"

Niya frowned. Blaze loved that her sister was so much more expressive now, not depressed like she used to be. Before, all she did was devote herself to her school work. Now she would go out with friends, became more animated when people talked to her. Blaze saw something bright in her sister, something she knew the Atrox could never take from her if Erik ever made good on his threat.

"Cameron! You have that funny look again," Niya grumbled as she fluffed Blaze's pillows.

"What look?" Blaze asked, stretching out next to her younger sister.

"The one where you're going to cry and then hug the life out of me."

"Do I give you that look a lot?"

She closed her text book, staring at Blaze curiously. "You never paid much attention to me until Erik ran away. What do you have to say about that?"

Blaze pursed her lips. Niya had always liked Erik, as a friend and companion. He got what she was all about. And that terrified Blaze to no end because no matter how better Niya was becoming, Erik could always tear her back down, and she could lose her family.

_She could lose Niya_.

"I don't know. Just fiured you could use me around more."

Niya drummed her fingers along her text book, nodding. "Okay, but someday, I want the truth. Deal?"

Blazed blinked and then smiled. "What truth?"

"I like that you're more interested in me and life, but I _know_ you're lying. Something happened to you and Erik, and it _changed_ you. I'm not stupid, Cameron," Niya said, her mouth turning up in a smirk.

"One day, I swear to you, I will tell you the truth about it all."

"You really swear, Cameron?"

Blaze rolled over and hugged the girl, afraid to let go of something so fragile and yet so strong. "Niya, I swear on my life."

Niya hugged her back, having no other choice since her sister was practically crushing her.

"So, what exactly made you decide not to cheat anyway?"

Blaze sighed as she remembered Conrad running in, thinking there was a problem and instead found her digging through her bag for her study guide. Boy, was _that_ lecture tons of fun...

**Next Up: Remember that scene in **_**Song of the Siren**_ **where Auriella came home and her mom had more than one cup of coffee on the coffee table? Well, the explanation is finally here!**


	4. Ariel

**AN: This one shot takes place in chapter 5 of **_**Song of the Siren**_**, aptly titled Choice-Pandora's Vision**

**Part Two: Unraveling**

**Chapter Four: Ariel**

Ariel inhaled the deep scent of the hazelnut coffee. The Magna Mater made tea; Vanessa Saratoga made the _best_ flavored coffee Ariel had ever tasted. Ariel thought she should open her own cafe instead of wasting her life as a housewife and mother.

Next to her, Orlando sniffed his coffee, too, dipping his tongue in to the cup to taste it. It was his normal way of tasting something he had never had before, and Ariel was quite used to his antics by now. Vanessa, however, giggled at him for his ways. He leaned over, whispering, "How can you drink this?"

She smiled, patting his thigh in reassurance. He could be like such a little boy, exploring the world for the first time.

"So, have any of you heard from Gissele?" Vanessa asked, glancing over each of them: Ariel and Orlando, Evangelina, and finally Blaze. Each, in turn, shook their heads.

Of course, Blaze wouldn't have. As a whole, the Daughters of Mischief didn't really know her. As an individual, Ariel was beginning to warm up to the poor girl. One look at her, and you could tell that she still fought with herself every day over the mess.

Ariel still wanted to blame her. God, how easy it would be to dump all the blame on Blaze and wipe her hands of it. That couldn't happen, though. Yeah, Blaze had messed up royally, but the blame wasn't entirely hers. Fate was set, and what had happened was going to, regardless if Blaze had done the right thing. Tiberius was always going to die. That was set in stone; Pandora had said it. _Tiberius knew it_.

But Ariel wasn't sure if the outcomes for Gissele and Evangelina would have been the same.

Gissele, who was missing.

Evangelina, who might as well have been missing.

"Nobody has a clue?" Vanessa looked so sad, it hurt Ariel. The poor woman, pulled out of the comforts of wherever guardians went just to play _Mommy_ to a bunch of girls who had more probelms than a guest on the Jerry Springer Show.

Of course, Ariel had a clue. Orlando looked at her with the subtlety of an elephant tip-toeing. It was only a clue, of course, because she wasn't just about to saunter back into her father's office to ask him. The vision she recieved from Pandora had definitely shown Gissele fighting side by side with Matthew... Against her.

How would this battle occur? When would it? Why?

_Why?_

"I saw her," Vange spoke up, her voice so soft, it _broke_ Ariel's heart all over again. Over and over and over again.

"What?" Blaze asked. Her caramel eyes darkened.

"Where?" Orlando asked next.

"At a club. I didn't want to say anything to you guys... But I went to Tymmie's club," Vange revealed, lowering her head so that Ariel couldn't pry her mind for information.

"And you saw Gissle there?" Vanessa prodded gently, trying not to frighten the girl back into her chosen silence.

"She didn't see me. She looked so... Dead," she said, unsure if that was the right word.

"Dead?" Blaze whispered, confused.

Ariel had grown cold, so cold. Tymmie worked so fast, taking a top notch fighter of good and turning her into a soul-less harpy. Her stomach twisted. She felt sick. Why had Gissele's last resort been the _Infidi_? Shit, she could have gone to the Atrox, and Ariel would have felt a tiny bit better about the whole thing. Joining the _Infidi_ was a slap in the face, not only to Ariel, but to Evangelina, too.

How could her dearest friend do this to her? How could she have become so weak? Did they approach her, or did she crawl to them?

"She wasn't Gissele..." Vange looked at Ariel, tears streaming down her face. "Is she gone?"

_I can't cry, I can't cry. _"I don't know. I don't know how to figure this out!"

"I... I caused this. Let me go. Let me find out what Gissele has done," Blaze offered, sounding stronger than ever. She wanted to atone for her mistake, but a Daughter of the Moon alone was a beacon of eagerness and misery in a pit like that club.

"No," Ariel stated firmly. "We don't need another crossover. Or death," she added when Blaze attempted to argue back. "Torrence would never forgive me."

Blaze frowned. It still looked like she would go and find Gissele.

Which only meant one thing...

Ariel herself would have to go back to the demon's lair before any of the other girl's did something stupid. Maybe she would take Orlando to Conrad's, drop him off there for manly bonding while she faced her darkest fear.

"Ariel is right. That was brave of you, Vange," Vanessa complimented, and Vange attempted a half smile for her. "But I think that _none_ of you should go." She gave Ariel a hard look, and Ariel wondered how she could possibly know.

Outside, they heard a car pull up to the house. Vanessa looked surprised as she hurriedly stood up. "It's Auriella! You need to leave before she comes in!"

The woman quickly hugged each of them, giving Vange a kiss on her forehead.

Ariel reached out to them all, and they all grabbed onto her as she provided them all with a quick escape route. She rushed them all outside before Auriella showed up.

"I wonder why Vanessa doesn't just tell her. It's not like Ella will freak about it," Blaze mused, looking back at the house in thought.

Ariel shrugged, not completely listening to the girl. She was still planning on going back to find Gissele, despite the consequences.

**Next Up: Vange muses on her life. And, yeah, **_**he's**_** back. Hope you remember him! **


	5. Evangelina

**Part Two: Unraveling**

**Chapter Five: Evangelina**

_None of them get it._

Honestly? Evangelina had searched _everywhere_ to find Gissele. If anybody understood the pain of losing Tiberius, it would be her. She had made herself painfully obvious, and Gissele had just ignored her.

What did that mean?

Did Gissele not care about anythng anymore?

And Ariel... Where to begin with her? She seemed more upset about Gissele rather than Tiberius. You had to really feel bad for Orlando, who came in second place to Gissele in Ariel's heart.

Everybody knew it.

Vange threw bird seed on the ground, watching the various winged animals peck at it. The sun beat down on her. The weather was calm and nice. Basically, it was a perfect day.

Except that she was extremely depressed. As usual.

Nobody cared that she lived. If she went missing, would Vanessa try so hard to find her like she was doing with Gissele? Would Ariel be heartbroken, too? Would Torrence remember her?

"Pandora... Why are we so doomed? Why am I doomed? What have I done wronf?"

She dug her hand into the bag of seed again, feeling different textures and size. She scooped it out, held her hand out, and let the seed slip between her fingers and fall to the ground. The birds jumped on it. They chirped.

Vange was the one that felt dead.

"Is this seat taken?"

Shaken out of her momet of self-loathing, Vange glanced up at the man talking to her. He was kind of cute with his light brown hair cut short, framin his thick face. His body was bulky, like a wrestler--and somewhat like Tiberius. It was his eyes, though, that had her hypnotized on sight.

"A Follower! I remember you!" She jumped up, shocked.

He smiled and sat. "Oh, you can tell. You must be a very special girl." He looked at her a little more closely, his eyes spotting the trinket around her neck. "A Pandora Daughter. I remember now. You _are_ very smart," he crooned.

Vange's jaw dropped. "You found me. Why?"

He patted the seat next to him, the one she had just vacated. "You seemed lonely."

"That's your game. I'm not an idiot," Evangelina spat, taking a step back from him and the bench.

"Come on. Who says we have to be enemies? You can be friends with whoever you want. You aren't bound by any rules."

She eyed him curiously, but his words rang too true in her ears. She didn't have to choose sides, or which side her friends belonged to.

One foot shuffled forward, then another. She _was_ lonely. She could definitely use more friends, expecially of the cute guy variety.

He smiled knowingly, patting the seat again. "Come on, Evangelina. It's okay. Sit with me."

She gave him a shaky smile, stepping closer and closer. Finally, hesitantly, she turned and sat next to him. "Okay... I've sat. You know my name." She tilted her head, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, not remembering his at all. His beef was more with Ariel. And Torrence, she remembered at once. The first time she met Torrence. "What's yours?"

"Lawrence, but all my friends call me Larry."

**Next Up: Gissele and Ariel say a final good-bye... **

**Ah, because this chapter is so short, I've decided to include this in here as a special treat. Mostly because, lmao, I want you, the readers, to look this list over and tell me what you think. These are my theme songs for the Pearl Drops characters. The ones I have, so far. So, here goes! I do have others for Pearl Drops, however... They would lead to spoilers, I believe, so I'm keeping them in the vault. ;D Oh... And I really love Within Temptation, obviously. But they are so... **_**epic**_**, it's hard not to use them. Lol.**

**DotM (Pearl Drops cast): All I Need - Within Temptation**

**Torrence: Stand My Ground - Within Temptation**

**Hailley: Rockstar - Prima J**

**Cameron: Save Yourself - Stabbing Westward**

**Daughters of Mischief: Collide - Skillet**

**Ariel: Fully Alive - Flyleaf**

**Anthony: Dance With the Devil - Breaking Benjamin**

**Chris: Life is Beautiful - Sixx: A.M.**

**Auriella & Anthony: Into the Night - Santana ft. Chad Kroeger**

**Torrence & Nikolas: Whispers in the Dark - Skillet**

**Cameron & Conrad: Damn Regrets - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

**Torrence & Robert: All Over You - The Spill Canvas**

**Cameron & Erik: What Have You Done (Extended Version) - Within Temptation**


	6. Gissele

**Part Two: Unraveling**

**Chapter Six: Gissele**

It was an immediate decision. She didn't spend forever agonizing over it. Tymmie or Matthew hadn't approached her. She made the decision on her own. She based it on her vision from her Mother, Pandora. She saw herself with the _Infidi_. That was it.

Later, of course, she wondered if it was a test. A test of wills, a test of strength, a test of what she was made of, _inside_. Like, if Gissele hadn't seen that vision, would things have been different? She went because she saw it. If she hadn't, would Matthew have come for her instead?

Gissele sighed. There was not much reason to play the "What If..." game. She was here, servant of Lambert and Aura, and nothing would change that. Matthew had told her that when they first met. She understood now why Ariel kept the Pandora Daughters from meeting him.

Matthew was hot, charismatic, and so unlike Tymmie in every way.

Gissele just didn't get it, get why Ariel would spurn this man for so many years. They had grown up together, and Matthew constantly tried to persuade her to join him.

_I guess that makes her so much stronger than I am_, she thought to herself as she saw Ariel walk into the place she feared the most: the den of her father. But then, Gissele always knew how strong Ariel was, always being put to the test by her parents and her destiny.

It made the fairy queen smile the tiniest of smiles. Ariel was cut from the exact cloth as Torrence--the almighty goddess who would change the rules of the game.

Ariel straightened her spine, lifting her head and squaring her shoulders. She was announcing her presence loudly; unlike Vange, who had skulked and slithered. Gissele wasn't going to talk to her if she wanted to act like a lowly _serva_. Ariel... Ariel was a princess. She didn't skulk and hide, even when fear shone brightly in her eyes.

Ariel stood in the middle of the dance floor, letting the bodies crush around her. She shone so brightly among them. With ease, Gissele slid through the crowd, moving towards her sister.

She may have sold her soul to Ariel's devil, but she was still Pandora's daughter. She was _still_ a Daughter of Mischief.

_Ariel was still her friend, right?_

"So... It's true," Ariel mumbled, looing Gissele square inthe face. She wished she hadn't. There were accusations in those eyes: all true. Every accusation she had was the truth.

It killed Gissele. And it killed Ariel a little bit, too.

"You don't seem surprised. I always imagined that you wouldn't believe it," Gissele told her. Now thinking about it, she should have known better than that. Ariel wouldn't outrage. She was so different now, transformed by the moon's taint on her.

Ariel frowned, looking her friend over. "It was in my vision. I knew for sure the day I went looking for you back at home."

Gissele wanted to search through her friend's mind, find that vision that had Ariel so coldly sure that Gissele had sold out. _Which she had done, of course. _But the pixie girl she had held so many times had blocked her out.

"Is this the end, Ariel? Are we over?"

Ariel took a deep breath, her eyes watering. Gissele flinched. Tears Ariel wouldn't shed, not in public, not for her. Not ever.

"Why them?"

"As opposed to what, joining the Atrox? No. The _Infidi_ were my option." The treacherous ones. The betrayers. And wasn't that what Gissele was now? She betrayed her ideals and her friends. But Pandora had stolen Tiberius! Followers of the Atrox had _stolen_ Tiberius!

Her friend reached out, her fingers barely touching the sin of Gissele's face. "Gissele..."

"How about one last dance, Ariel?" Gissele pulled Ariel to her, letting her body do the talking now.

Ariel just stood there, not touching her willingly, not dancing. Silent, poised. Gissele's heart shattered into tiny shards. She had asked Ariel if this was the end, and Gissele had shown her that she couldn't be persuaded to change her mind. Now she had her answer.

This was the end.

"Are you just giving up on me?" Gissele asked her, curious to know.

"I'm just... Gviing you breathing room, my friend."

Ariel took Gissele's face in her hands, pulling he rcloser. As a farewell, their lips met. It was a gentle kiss, their mouths merely pressed together.

"I love you, Ariel."

Ariel stepped back, already melting into the darkness.

_If you loved me, Gissele, you wouldn't have done this_.

**Next Up: Maria remembers the day she met Torrence and Charlie**


	7. Maria

**AN: I have finished typing up Answers... But I'm going to spread it out, if only to give me more time to get closer to the end in the next book. Also, I started college Monday... And I'm tired, so updates on anything might be a little slow, but they will get done... even if it takes two years...**

**Part Three: Hidden**

**Chapter Seven: Maria**

Maria left the studio for the day, kissing her boyfriend good-bye before walking out. She was tired and needed a shower after a hard day.

She just had to find a place to go.

Maria didn't have a home or apartment. She had no family--well, none that she ever wanted to be in touch with. Two years ago, she had run away from that family. Since then, she had been hiding from them. There was no way in hell that she would ever go back.

Her choices of space were limited. If she hurried now, she could make it to the Salvation Army. There, she could get a warm, but itchy, bed and a lukewarm shower with a bar of soap that made her skin feel dry and stretched. But... It was so much better than the streets, just like when she first left.

Dirty, frightening... She hardly slept at all those few months before Charlie came along, toting a younger Torrence behind her. She supposed the two were going to lunch or something. Torrence passed by her, and right before completely leaving her behind, those eyes sought her out. Maria didn't react. Causing a scene now would only frighten a girl who didn't know her destiny. And this young teen, short but beautiful, full of wisdom and cunning she had yet to tap in to, was Maria's fate.

It was an automatic reaction. Maria was dirty, hungry, and completely unsure as to why she would do what she did when she knew not to make a scene. But that little girl...

She lunged at Charlie. The older woman didn't flinch, but Torrence gasped and leaped on Maria, trying to pull her down.

"Let go of Charlie!" Torrence screamed. Boy, was she strong. This girl was a _fighter_. She wasn't so sheltered, as Maria had quickly learned.

"Torrence Margaret!" Charlie scolded, unafraid and undaunted by a mere girl.

Torrence quit her assault, staring at Charlie strangely. Maria laughed, pulling the girl off of her. She wanted to hug this child.

She was so pefect.

A dream.

The goddess had been right, and the Fates had chosen the right person. Maria breathed a sigh of relief.

"Charlie?"

"Can't you see this girl just needs help, and you attack her? What kind of manners have you been taught?" The woman scolded, her eyes narrowed at the girl. Maria could sense the love the two had for each other, no matter how harsh Charlie sounded. "Now apologize."

"I... I'm sorry," Torrence mumbled.

Maria smiled. "I should have expected it, I suppose."

"What's your name, girl?" Charlie's critical eyes turned to her.

Maria hesitated. _Her name?_ She couldn't reveal her identity. She was already wearing a glamour...

"Maria. My name is Maria." She let go of Torrence, facing Charlie as she did so.

"You look like a dancer. Would you like to dance for me?"

Torrence smiled and looked away. It was just like Charlie to take on strays like that. Like she did with Torrence and a dozen other kids over the years.

"I..." Maria didn't know what to say.

"Yes?"

"Yes..."

Torrence, despite being younger, became her mentor after that. They developed a fondness for one another.

Until Robert, that is. It was necessary. It was a critical decision, made for Torrence. ... And herself. A goddess should be above all crap, as proud and sturdy as Athena herself.

Even though it ruined what bond the two girls had, it focused the goddess on what was important. Now, if she could only figure out how to get rid of that Nikolas kid as well...

Maria sighed as she headed for the shelter for the ngiht.

Hers was a hard life, and soon... And soon, she would have to come out of hiding and face the world once more as herself.

**AN: So, what do you think? Curious to know who Maria is and why she would think of Torrence like this? :D **

**Next Up: Conrad breaks down to Jimena, revealing the truth about the Pandora incident**


	8. Conrad

**Part Three: Hidden**

**Chapter Eight: Conrad**

"Something's weighing heavy on your mind, Conrad," Jimena said to her son one afternoon. He glanced at her, a smile on his face.

His mom was always perceptive, and not too long ago, he found out why that was. She was the Magna Mater for the Daughters of the Moon, a group of goddesses his girlfriend, best childhood friend, cousin, and her best friend belonged to.

They had turned his life upside down ever since meeting them. Most of them, anyway. Hailley had been his best friend since forever ago... Not that it seemed to matter to _her_ anymore.

That was beside the point and completely off track. He knew what had been weighing on him since his first major Follower battle.

"We both know what it is, Mom," Conrad replied, the smile gone from his eyes all too quick.

He knew his mom was worried about him and his involvement. It wasn't tearing him up or anything. He didn't agonize over it everyday. But every now and then... It did cross his mind.

Jimena smoothed down Conrad's fair and dry hair. "I wish all of you would confide in me. I'm not the enemy here."

"Mom..." He chuckled, hugging her tight. "I don't think you're the enemy."

"Well, do you think telling me will cause what you saw to happen?"

Conrad looked away, a tight pain clenching at his heart. That wasn't it at all. It was so far from that, so far on the other side of the spectrum...

"That's not it..." He smiled for her, empty and confused at once. "It won't change. I think that Pandora was punishing me."

"For what?"

"For pushing my way into Cameron's life when I should have left her alone," Conrad sighed, running his fingers through his hair. His frown etched lines into his face.

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!" Jimena exclaimed, staring her son down for his stupidity.

"No. Mom... It's Erik! Erik was supposed to be Cameron's box!" He slammed his fists down on the nearby counter, his body shaking.

"Conrad!"

"Don't you get it, Mom? Erik and Cameron were supposed to be together. So you know what that means?"

Jimena's face became still, her breathing halted as the pain her son had been carrying around became evident. "Oh, honey... She chose _you_. She wanted to be with _you._ If she had wanted to be with Erik, don't you think something would have taken place long before you showed up?"

"It's a pull... They won't be able to deny their attraction. It doesn't matter how it happens, or why it didn't before this whole mess. They will meet again and again, Mom. Again and again. They will always come together, and they won't know why until it destroys them both!"

Conrad was seething in anger, holding his head in his hands. What did this mean for him? How long would it be before it destroyed him? He didn't want to be an object in their war between each other.

"I care about her. I care about her a lot," Conrad cried out.

Jimena reached for her son, seeing an outrage growing inside him that reminded her of herself when she was younger than him. She held on to him, comforting him. "Conrad, don't worry. Shh."

And for the first time in Conrad's life, after living his father's motto of "No fear", he was afraid. He was afraid, and he suddenly regretted ever being involved with the Daughters.

**Next Up: Suddenly, Miranda Ormond started believing that _her mother_ was the only sane one in her family...**


	9. Miranda

**AN: This is really, really, really short. :DD Sorry! Oh, and I'm putting up a little thing on the next book on my profile. Right after this goes up.**

**Part Three: Hidden**

**Chapter Nine: Miranda**

Miranda Ormand was confused about her family situation. Well, not exactly about Chris being adopted and Torrence being his long-lost twin. That she understood perfectly well. That wasn't difficult for _anyone_ to understand.

What was confusing to her was they _all_ acted. Chris was always strange, even before he met Torrence. It seemed that he could read her mind sometimes, like when she was being defiant in the safety of her head, and he would shook her looks. Ever since moving to California, he got even stranger. There was some man who visited Chris at night, a man not much older than her brother, a man he called Stanton... And once, she heard him call the man, "Dad".

She didn't know what to make of that. Chris never mentioned this guy. He hardly kept secrets from the family. When she thought about it, he would send her veiled look, as if trying to tell her to not say anything to Mom and Dad.

Then there was Torrence, one of the coolest girls she had ever met. She didn't think Torrence would be so willing to accept her as a sister... She did, though.

Torrence was strange, too. She was always in some ind of trouble. Once... Once she saw Torrence go into some kind of a trance when she spent the night at her house with Chris. Ice formed over her hands and filled the floor, and Torrence was staring off into the reflective surface.

Miranda held her breath as she watched her. She tried to creep forward, inch by inch, to see what Torrence was seeing. Fear struck her as she got too close. Shadows seemed to swirl around Miranda, and the oppressive energy of the room was choking the child. She ran away and hid in her roomthe rest of the night, huddled in a corner.

Most odd of all was her own _father_. Everybody thought _Catty_ was eccentric and kooky... But it was Kyle that Miranda found enigmatic. He was always watching her with a sad look, like she would just disappear soon.

There was something her father knew that she was sure nobody else did. Miranda only wished that _she_ knew.

She hoped that when the time came, she didn't hurt her loved ones by what she was. Just because she didn't know didn't meant that she wasn't destined to be something more than she seemed to be. And there was no dount in her young, thirteen-year-old mind that she was special.

She dreamed one night, about her mother. She was in a place of darkness, and her mother was crying. Other people were there... One looked like her brother's real mother--she had seen the pictures--and that lady Jimena and Aunt Vanessa. There were others, but she didn't know them. She just focused in on her mom, who was reaching for some boy.

She couldn't hear anything, but there was something about this dream, something completely important.

What did it mean, though?

**Next Up: Robert muses over all the mothers in his life.**


	10. Robert

**Part Four: Son**

**Chapter Ten: Robert**

Charlie looked him over, scrutinizing, trying to find faults with him.

Robert knew the old woman held a certain fondness for--or else he'd be on the streets--while at the same time, she didn't particularly like him.

"Robert, you are trying my patience!" The woman yelled before burying her head in her hands.

"I did exactly as you asked, Charlie. What more can you want?"

"Perfection!" She cried out. "What was I thinking, bringing you here?"

Robert said nothing. Charlie often went on these rants; not only in this studio, but in all her studios where she observed her dancers. She never dropped a dancer unless it was strictly necessary.

"I don't know."

Robert stopped, standing with his arms crossed against his chest, staring out at Charlie.

Her problem was that she was too attached to Torrence, and caused her to compare most people to the girl. He knew the pros and cons of Torrence, and while he did love her, he felt that the attachments she gathered to her would only make her life that much more difficult.

"I'm going to order a pizza, boy. You want the usual?"

Robby smiled. "Sounds great."

She could be a hard ass, but that woman was a mother to all. It made him think back, on his mother. She had been a kind woman, despite being so well off. His father was also a Knight of the Round, so he was able to support the family--Robert also had four younger siblings--quite nicely. But his mother... She was a prize, a gem among rocks. She cooked alongside their cook, cleaned with the maids. She was raised as a farmer's daughter and work was what she knew best.

Most of all, she knew how to mother her children without being overbearing.

God, he missed that.

Nearly everyday, when he was a _servus_, he wondered what had happened to his family. What did they think happened to him? Did they mourn him? Did the king speak to his family? Was he mourned as dead, feared as lost, thought of as a deserter?

He wasn't unaware of Hekate being the actual one ot birth him, but was she there to nurse him and sing him to sleep? To tend to his wounds and help him get back on his feet after an illness?

Reese was a different sort of woman, Of course, back then, Robert didn't know of Hekate or the Atrox, or the Daughters of the Moon. He only became aware of these facts when he finally pledged himself to the Dark Goddess, forever sealing his fate to that of the twins, Christopher and Torrence even before they would long exist. That was beside the point.

Point was, he missed his mother. A lot. He missed being himself from those long ago days. He had been alive for so long with nothing to look foward to but pain and anguish.

"Boy, you better get down here if you want to eat!"

A smile slid across his face. That was his Charlie. She wasn't Reese. She wasn't Hekate or Serena. She didn't even love him like she loved Torrence.

Charlene was his mother, though. She cared for him, clothed him, fed him. He lived with her for nothing but a dance.

And, every once in awhile, he saw that familiar smile on her older face. The smile of his old mother, morphed by a new face and personality.

Charlie passed him a plate of two slices of his favorite: bacon and sausage with extra cheese. She always ordered him his own large.

He took the plate from her and sat down at the table, digging into his food with a ravenous appetite. "Thanks, Charlie."

"You're welcome, Son."

A simple word made up of three little letters.

Still...

Still, it was all good.

**Next Up: Chris knows he has to make a decision only a brother who loved his sisters could eventually make... To save their souls.**


	11. Chris

**AN: I just put a poll up on my page for potential titles to the Huntress sequel. Go now and cast your vote!**

**Part Four: Son**

**Chapter Eleven: Chris**

Once upon a time, there lived a boy. He was the son of not one, but two sets of parents. He was a brother, a twin of a girl.

And he was special.

Chris sighed and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face into his pillow. That was how his "fairy tale" life would begin.

There would be nothing about who he truly was. Not that he was beyond his fifteen young years. Not that he knew the ways to calm even his hot-headed--the irony...--twin down.

Just his heritage, his legacy.

Son of Stanton and Serena.

Son of Kyle and Catty.

Brother to a girl who didn't know her destiny.

Brother to a girl forced into her destiny with every word she spoke.

It was amazing the pressure Torrence as placed in, not only by others, but by herself as well.

What was she, and how come he wasn't one of them?

Chris wasn't prone to jealousy often, but something about his twin sparked a flame in him.

He knew it couldn't have been perfection. Torrie was so far from perfect, she could have been a crippled midget with three eyes.

It wasn't friendships. Torrie's only friends were really the Daughters, himself, and Nikolas.

There was _nothing_ about the way she grew up that he envied. He had loving parents. She had nothing.

Torrence wasn't popular. Yet, people flocked to her. Good, bad, neutral, they were attracted to Torrence.

Yeah, he was great with advice and breathing.

Torrence was great at _leading_. It came naturally to her, even if she didn't realize it. Even if she denied it.

People found Torrence appealing because she had the ever-shining presence of a true and strong leader.

"Hello, Stanton," he greeted, calling out the name of his father the moment he felt him.

"Thinking of your sister?" Stanton glanced over his son.

"Just having random thoughts," Chris answered, rolling onto his back.

"I see. You have the same strength as Torrence does," Stanton assured him, taking a seat on top of Chris's desk.

"I'm not trying to make Torrence this fabulous being. I just wish she could think of herself like others do. And I know what other people think of her. Someof it isn't nice,but a lot of people actually _like her_."

"Torrence is a lot like your mother, Serena. Without the self-confidence, of course."

Chris sat up, staring at his father. "What's going to happen to us?"

"I can't tell the future, so I cannot tell you what you want to know."

The boy nodded, eyes staring vacantly out at nothing. "There's a reason the Daughters look up to her, despite the mistakes she makes."

"It's how you thought, Son. She was born to lead."

"Is she? Was she meant to be who she is?"

Stanton looked thoughtful, his eyes scanning over his son in curiosity. Blue met blue. "You're doubting her while believing in her. This is intriguing."

"I'm scared for her," Chris admitted.

"Why?"

"Isn't it strange how we are all connected to Torrence? She's a spider, weaving webs to every one of us. She brought people to us who we might have never met. It's like she's guided by an unseen force." Chris scrubbed his face roughly before running his fingers through his hair, making it stick up in different places.

Stnaton frowned, disliking the web Chris was spinning himself. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying... Torrence could be the end of all of this, as long as she remains good. It's like she was born to win Selene's war. I think she's the key component, the catalyst."

Undestanding dawned across his father's face. "What exactly do you have planned, Christopher? I would know that look anywhere."

Chris nodded, the plan only in its early stages. "I'm going to need your help... Dad."

**Next Up: He wants to keep his sister safe from Tymmie and Lambert... But could they possibly suspect him for Taylor's disappearance?**


	12. Matthew

**Part Four: Son**

**Chapter Twelve: Matthew**

"Don't be scared, little one," Matthew murmured. His fingers stroked little circles on a young girl's face--fourteen of fifteen, she was. She was like putty in his hands, scooting closer to him until their bodies had melded together.

"I'm not scared."

No, they were never scared. Not with Matthew, they weren't. His was the face all girls wanted to touch.

The girl's name was Melanie. She was scared of _going home_. Her father was a heorin junkie, and he was a mean bastard. Recently, she had just gotten out of the hospital for downing a bottle of sleeping pills. Her mother found her before any really damage had occurred.

Damage that was physical, anyway.

Below the surface, Matthew could see the damage her life had caused. Oh, yes, he could see it. And it was _beautiful_.

He kissed her cheek, drawing out the little bit of hope left in her sorry soul. Her eyes went out of focus, glazing over slowly as she began to slump against him.

Her mind buzzing wildly, and he was lapping it up.

Poor, little Melanie. So scared now and confused.

"I thought you weren't afraid, Mel," Matthew whispered in her ear, his mouth on her skin.

"I'm sorry," she whined, beggining to struggle against him.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her still. "I'm giving you a new life, Melanie. Don't you want that?"

"What?"

Her lolled back as she desperately tried to cling to what he was taking from her.

"A new life." He freed one hand, using it to smooth her hair back. "Away from your father and those horrible kids at school. Away from all the unhappiness. Don't you want that?"

The kid swallowed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "Y-yes. I wa-want it."

So Matthew gave it to her.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

"I see that you've taken another one."

Matthew grinned at Lambert. "She was just so cute!" He grabbed a soda off Lambert's desk and took a swig from the can. His father watched on in mild amusement.

"Cute?" The word coming from Lambert's mouth sounded all wrong, and Matthew chuckled. _Old people_. "Cute?"

"Oh, come on. Like anybody would really fear her. She's so completely perfect, so unsuspecting."

"Have you ever thought that this might be an obsession that you have?" Lambert asked of his son.

"Nope." Matthew crushed the can in his hand, successfully finishing it off. "Where's Mother?"

"Look, Matthew. We don't recruit for 'cuteness'," Lambert began, ignoring his son's question. "That is not a priority here," he continued to lecture.

"If I didn't, we would have frightening women like Cassandra around!" Matthew protest, his eyes wide with mock horror.

"She's not even _Infidi_," Lambert reminded him, giving him a sigh of defeat. Cassandra was... Insane. And he did have to admit that there were some very colorful people in the _Infidi _due to Matthew.

"Exactly! You give too much freedom to Tymmie."

It wasn't exactly a secret that Matthew hated Tymmie. Because of the freak, Ariel had left. She created a new life for herself, joining up with the crappy Daughters of the Moon. Matthew blamed Tymmie for that move. He was always pushing her, always making it worse for her.

Their relationship wasn't as simple as "he wanted her, she wanted him". They had been friends before Pandora took her, and they were friends for a little while after.

Just like with Taylor. He missed his sister. She was _genuine_. But Taylor wasn't like Ariel. She wasn't meant to be here, like Ariel was. Nobody knew it, but Matthew loved his baby sister enough to let her go and keep his father from finding her. He didn't know where Taylor was now, but he kept a look out for her, in case Tymmie started finding real trails.

"Tymmie is one of my most loyal men, Matthew. Careful about what you say. He is the only one looking for your sister. I do not see you voulnteering."

"You won't let me, remember?"

Lambert and Aura were desperate to get his sister back. He didn't know why that was, but he had a deep feeling that they distrusted him.

They couldn't have suspected him, could they?

Really, what was the big deal, anyway? Anybody could tell that Taylor was not like them. Any one of them could tell that she had pledged her life to the _mysticae_.

**Next Up: Nikolas writes a song. :3**


	13. Nikolas

**Part Five: Whipped**

**Chapter Thirteen: Nikolas**

Nikolas sat alone in his room, pen nearby--as he would only write in ink, preferably black--and his "special" paper, as he liked to call it. It was the paper he wrote all of his songs on. He was alone because nobody was home, the way he liked it when he got into one of his moods. He could practice and work without anybody bothering him. He even shut off his cell phone, in case somebody had any ideas of contacting him.

Fat chance. He was in the _zone_.

He even cast his runes in a silencing spell, basically soundproofing the room. No one could hear him; he could hear no one on the other side of his door.

He strummed the cords of his guitar, trying ever combination of notes until the right ones hummed into his body. He hummed with them, finding the music. Nick wrote down his notes, humming them over and over. He would take nothing less than absolute perfection. The process for him to create a song could take hours. First was the slow progression of finding a compatible beat that made the song. Then he had to put it all together as one. Next came figuring out what each of the other intsruments would add. Usually, he had collaborative help, but this was personal. Finally, he would write the lyrics. Lyrics always came last because he already knew the words. He wanted the hard stuff done before the written word spilled forth.

This song was different than his others. This song was _incredibly_ personal.

This was his song for Torrence. Not that he would ever tell her, but he had her in mind when the lyrics just barged right on in to his brain that morning during breakfast.

Even if she didn't know it, she deserved to know that he was there for her.

Although, that really didn't make any sense to him. His mind was too warped.

Nick had been attracted to other girls before, some of them even on a serious level. He thought Torrence was beautiful when he first met her that day in the diner. It was exciting for his teenage hormones, having a beautiful girl come stay with them. Originially, his feelings were extremely superficial. Come on, what guy wouldn't find a girl like Torrence appealing? Except, maybe a gay guy...

His feelings evolved from there as he found himself getting to know her better, caring for her, wondering about her. Their friendship became important to him. He counted her as one of his best friends, and he often found himself wondering if she thought the same about him.

With a sigh, he held his guitar close, forgetting his song for the moment as he was lost in a Torrence haze. It was just time to admit it. He was too far deep, too involved in her life not ot be. He loved her, his gloriously messed up foster _sister_.

And still, she didn't even hold him in the high regard that she had Chris in.

And still, she didn't look at him with the eyes she made at Robert.

What was so great about that asshole, anyway?

Nick shook his blonde head, forgetting all that. This song needed to be finished.

**Next Up: Orlando may not know how to work the remote, but he knows his duty...**


	14. Orlando

**AN: Onoez! Two more chapters to go!**

**Part Five: Whipped**

**Chapter Fourteen: Orlando**

There were challenges involved in adapting to the future, which was actually the present, but not to Orlando. A specific challenge to him was the remote control. It bothered him like nothing else, with all the buttons and words. For what purpose did you need fifty-one buttons? And he knew there were fifty-one; he counted each one.

On one particular day, as he tried to watch Spongebob--okay, yeah, it was for kids, but he had never seen anything like it!--the stupid remote started acting up. None of the buttons were working.

He smashed the buttons, he mashed them. Squished and jabbed. He repeatedly his it against Ariel's coffee table in the hopes that it would start. He even sat on it! Although, he wasn't exactly sure what that was going to solve...

"Orlando..."

Orlando jumped, surprised by Ariel's sudden appearance. He turned to her, eyes wide, face red. "Uh..."

Her jaw had opened her mouth in the most comical of expressions, one eyebrow cocked up, her left eye twitching.

"What in _hell_ are you doing?" She excalimed after seeing him _chewing_ on the remote.

"I can't change the channel!" He told her, waving the damned remote control around. "How am I going to watch Spongebob?"

She stepped forward and snatched the remote from him. She pressed the buttons on it, and the channel changed to the one that he wanted. "Did you try the cable button first before ruining my table?" She could see the damage there as well.

"Oh. You have to do that?" Orlando asked her, looking at the remote in wonder. What a confusing invention! And yet... He was addicted to the objec that it controlled.

Ariel sighed and sat in his lap, kissing his cheek softly. "You are so completely dumb."

"Dumb? You are so used to this kind of technology! You couldn't survive a day in my time!"

"What?! Are we on this again? Fine, I _know_ I couldn't live in your time! I'm too assertive. They'd probably burn me at the stake!"

Orlando scoffed, shaking his head at her. "We didn't burn people, Ariel."

"Oh, what a relief," she muttered sarcastically.

"We stoned them," he replied happily, asserting _his_ knowledge over her.

She glanced at him angrily, and he swallowed loudly. He didn't like that look of hers. It was frightening. It also usually meant trouble. "Even better."

"Um... So..."

"I lied to you."

He glanced at her, confused. "What?"

"The other day, when I left you with Conrad... I lied."

"You didn't go shopping then?" That wasn't shocking to him. He already knew that. She didn't have any bags or anything new when they eventually got home.

She hugged him close, curling up to him. Her cheek rested on his shoulder. He held her, confused still.

"I... I went to talk to Gissele."

"I see. And?"

"Orlando, can you fight her? When it comes down to it?"

Orlando didn't even need to think about it. "Yes. She's our enemy now, and we need to defeat them at all costs."

Ariel nodded, making herself even smaller in his lap."Okay. If you can do it, so can I."

**Next Up: Anthony and Auriella... Friends? Lovers? Follower and Daughter?**


	15. Anthony

**Part Five: Whipped**

**Chapter Fifteen: Anthony**

Strange how the most mundane things could seem special to somebody. Auriella just sat on the bed, brushing her short hair out. The blue tips were fading a little bit, and she had said something about maybe re-dying them purple.

"What do you think?" She asked Anthony, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I think that red would suit you better," Anthony replied.

"Oh? You mean red like yours?" She giggled, leaning over to tousel his ginger hair.

"Perhaps." He smiled at her, his grin enticing.

She quit brushing her hair and smiled back at him. Reaching over, she ran the brush through his hair, untangling the knots. "Do you ever brush this mop?"

"No?"

"Talk about terrible hair care..." She muttered, smoothing his newly knot-free hair out.

"I wash it," he told her, taking her hand in his. "It's not like I'm dirty or anything. Nobody cares that I don't _brush_ my hair."

"I can see that..." She mumbled, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

_You are such a bum. How did you ever become a Follower?_

He grabbed her, pulling her over to him. She let out her suppressed laugh, hugging him tightly to her. They rolled off the bed, wrestling each other.

What a scene they were: the Daughter and the Follower. And yet they were playing around like two normal kids without a care in the world!

Anthony wished that he was normal. He wished that he wasn't bound by the limitations of the Atrox. If anybody found out about his feelings for Auriella, hell would be unleashed. If the Atrox ever found out...

The Atrox would automatically know. It would know who Ella was, and it would use that against him.

"I always have so much fun with you!" Ella exclaimed, pushing her hair of out her face, grinning at him. Her smile slowly faded as he continued to look glum. "Anthony?"

"Do you forget?"

"Forget what?"

"That I'm a Follower."

"No. I remember." She took his face between her hands, holding him. "That's not _you_, Anthony. This is you. My friend, my ally. You're nothing like Erik or Larry."

"Just your friend?" A wicked grin spread across his face as he leaned forward, taking her hands in his, his face inches from hers.

Her breath caught in her throat. "I like having you as my friend, Anthony. I can't understand how this happened."

They leaned in at the same time, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. They lingered togehter, just enjoying the feel of each other's mouths, their fingers lacing together.

"We'll figure this out soon," Anthony whispered, tickling her lips with his words.

"Do you promise me?" Auriella kissed him again, over and over, unable to help herself. They never went farther, but he could see the fantasies in her mind and knew they reflected his own.

"Yes." He had no chance of resistance against her requests of binding his word.

"Good." She leaned back on her elbows, nodding at him, finished with the explorations of his face with her lips. "Got anywhere to be tonight?"

"Not at all."

"I went out today and bought you your own pillow! You know, you're kind of a bed hog..."

He chuckled. What a girl...

**Next Up: The Epilogue... Oooh. Who will it be??**


	16. Alessandro

**Epilogue--Alessandro**

Alessandro stepped inside his father's house, book bag strap hanging only on one shoulder. It was only an instant before he saw his mother. Slim, a few inches shorter than him, her white hair trimmed to just under her chin, framing her pretty, pale face and gray eyes. Her mouth perked up into a smile; her eyes lit up.

"Mom?"

Marquette clapped her hands together. Her son had grown so much, looking like his father with his dark skin and hair. Even the way he stood was similar. Her smile was just as happy as before, but something akin to a pang of lonliness struck her.

"Hey, baby," she murmured softly.

"Are Kearney and Evan okay?" Alessandro had to ask. His mother and her family lived far away from Alessandro and his father.

"They're fine. I came to see you." With that, Marquette opened her arms wide.

He waited, unsure. Sure, he _loved_ his mother and knew she loved him, but it was just... They lived different lives, and he only really saw her and his sister during special occassions. Finally, he let his bag drop with a crash and ran into her arms as if he were still a little boy.

It was wonderful, being held by her again. She was so soft and warm...

She squeezed her son tightly, kissing the top of his head. "I missed you, Andro. I miss you so much, everyday."

"I miss you all the time, too, Mom."

Marquette stepped back, holding him out at arms length. There were unshed tears in her eyes. Alessandro was confused. How did she get here so quick, and why had she stopped by all of a sudden? It didn't make sense.

"Alessandro, I need you to listen to me."

He stared at her, nodding. "Okay, Mom."

"You will meet a girl soon, and she is going to need your help."

"What do you mean?"

She dropped her hands, stepping back from him. She looked so serious and so worried, it caused Andro physical pain. "My son, you are special to the other powers. You are the child of gods, Andro. It is a curse... And it is a blessing."

"Mom?" Andro tilted his head, confused. He knew all about where his father had come from in the ancient past and how his mother was both a Shadow Goddess and a former Daughter of the Moon.

But gifts? He never exhibited any sign of powers, like his father. Like his mother.

At least...

"They've lain dormant your whole life. I had Evan suppress them. For your father's sake, really. The dealing of my gods left him cold." She smiled softly, playfully, as she said these words. He could see how much she really loved his father.

"What am I?"

She leaned forward, kissing his forehead. "My son."

Alessandro groaned, losing the vision of his mother as he was roughly shaken awake. He lashed out at whomever it was interrupting his dream, trying to push them away.

"Andro, get up!"

"Dad... Go away!"

Berto shook him again. "Kearney just called. There's been an accident."

That woke the boy completely up. He opened his concrete eyes, sitting up quickly. "What do you mean?"

In that instant, the dream of his mother was lost to him for the time being.

**AN: Thanks for joining me on this wonderful journey! I've had fun with this side story, but I'm anxious to get started with **_**The Lioness Mask**_**. Hailley has proved to be a very fun character to write!**


End file.
